For the second time in three days, India on Monday successfully test fired the medium range surface-to-air missile Akash from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from Balasore (Orissa), defence sources said.

The indigenously-built sophisticated multi-target missile was test fired from a mobile launcher at 1225 IST in brightsunny weather, the sources said.

The 650kg missile, with a range of 25km and capable of carrying a 50kg payload, is one of the five missiles under various stages of development at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

A defence scientist said that a few more trials were necessary to gauge the more than 100 parameters of the missile system.

The missile would be ready for induction in the defence forces by 2003-end, he said.